Palazzo Trinci (1389-1411)


The Trinci lords occupied a number of buildings in Foligno in the 14th century, including the Palazzo delle Canoniche and Palazzetto del Podesta (for both, see Walk I).  Towards the end of the century, Ugolino III Trinci (1386 - 1415) acquired a number of palaces at the far end of what is now the Piazza del Repubblica, in order to build this imposing residence, which is referred to in documents as "domus novas magnifici domini Ugolini". 

Parts of the original palaces on the site were retained, which accounts for the irrational layout of the building:

  • The oldest parts of the structure, which are on the ground floor, seem to date to the mid 14th century.

  • A Latin inscription added to a relief of Amore and Psyche (ca. 150 AD) that was then embedded in the right wall of the loggia on the piano nobile (see below) records that Ugolino III Trinci built the palace in the period 1389-1407.   It is now exhibited as part of the Trinci Collection.

  • Documents suggest that the work actually continued until 1411. 

Ugolino probably built the two corridors that linked the palace with adjacent buildings:

  • one, which was demolished in the 18th century, spanned what is now Via Antonio Gramsci on the left, to Palazzetto del Podesta; and
  • the other, which still survives, spanned what is now Via XX Settembre on the right and continued behind the minor facade of the Duomo to Palazzo delle Canoniche.  This corridor can be visited from the palace (see below) and part of it is now incorporated into the Museo Capitolare e Diocesano.

The only work that was definitely carried out after Ugolino's death dates to 1424, when Corrado Trinci commissioned the frescoes in the chapel on the piano nobile.  This was the moment when he become the sole ruler of Foligno after the murder of his brothers.

After the execution of Corrado Trinci in 1439, when Foligno passed under papal domination, Cardinal Giovanni Vitelleschi requisitioned the palace and it was used for the residence of the papal governor and the priors.  It began to decline from this point, despite restorations by a succession of popes:

  • Pope Pius II in 1458;

  • Pope Sixtus IV in 1475; and

  • Pope Paul III in 1546. 

Subsequent developments led to the loss of much of the original character of the building:

  • One wing of the palace was adapted for use as a prison in 1578. 

  • A small theatre was installed in another wing in the 18th century.

  • The present façade, which unifies the divers structures within, was added in 1841-7 after the earthquake of 1832 damaged the original. 

  • Part of the rear of the palace was destroyed in the bombardment of 1944.

Layout

Palazzo Trinci was conceived as a princely palace and many of the rooms on the piano nobile (the second floor) had public functions.  The main public entrance in what is now Piazza della Repubblica led to the inner courtyard and an external staircase to the public area.  This staircase was demolished in 1781: the present staircase, which was built in 1927, leads to the ticket office:

  • Museo Archeologico is laid out in four rooms adjacent to the ticket office and two on the mezzanine below;

  • The Gothic staircase (see below) opposite the ticket office is the key to the rest of the palace.  It leads:

    • down to leads to a well in a cloister that was originally open to the sky and to three more rooms of the Museo Archeologico; and





    • up to the loggia on the piano nobile that served as an entrance to the public area of the palace.  It also also leads to the Pinacoteca Civica, which is laid out in four rooms on the first floor and another four on the piano nobile above.

Gothic Staircase

This lovely staircase, which was first documented in 1405, was built to link the original structure to the newer rooms on the two floors above.  It abuts a three-storey tower that houses the chapel on its top floor.  Traces of the original frescoes that covered its walls survive, most of which have geometric designs. 

Return to Walk I.